Life Lessons from NAAE

 

This past week I had the wonderful privilege to attend the National Association of Agriculture Educators Conference in the great city of New Orleans! With my whole group from Penn State, we all traveled together, shared new resources, and reflected together to make the most out of this wonderful experience. I was tasked to interact with at least 3 different teachers all from different states to ask about their experience as a teacher and at the NAAE Conference. Check out my day-to-day experiences to see all that I learned! 

Day 1- FAST (Future Agriscience Teacher) Symposium

Working alongside nearly 30 other future agriculture teachers from across the country, I was able to explore more inquiry-based learning teaching practices, learn the steps needed to be an effective communicator, and simply ask current agriculture teachers their recommendations and practices for effective teaching! 

Day 2-  Attend Various Workshops and Interact with Ag Teachers from all across the Nation

               

             I was able to reconnect with
                 many teachers from New York that I knew
              during my State Office year.

  

All preservice agriculture teachers were
recognized on stage at the 1st general session!

Many of the teachers I talked to had very similar reasons for attending the NAAE Conference. Most teachers responded that they enjoyed attending the workshops for professional development to use in their classroom. They also noted that interacting with fellow teachers was a great way to fill their cup back up and share resources/ideas with each other! I not only gained so many great ideas but built a strong network of teachers that I can reach out to with questions during teaching! 

Day 3- Attend the ACTE National Conference and Expo

At the first general session of the ACTE Conference, the keynote speaker talked about what it takes to be a hero and how teachers can serve as heroes to their students. Some of the new teachers I met served their students by helping them raise livestock and participate in numerous community events. These teachers did a great job at leading their students in the right direction! 

Day 4- Interact with Pennsylvania Ag Teachers and Explore the City of New Orleans

On our final day, I was able to explore the city of New Orleans and also interact with some of my closest resources during student teaching. All of these Pennsylvania teachers shared their advice, words of encouragement, and full support for any resources that I may need during teaching! I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my week! I learned so much from so many individuals this week and cannot wait to see where the future leads!